New restaurant to bring old style charm to downtown

Share

Tyler Bowdish worked in a steakhouse in downtown Chicago. His dad was a connoisseur of steak. So when the family relocated to their long-time vacation town of Saugatuck, the father and son set out to bring their favorite style of dining to west Michigan.

In October, Bowdish announced they will be opening a second location Bowdie's Chophouse in Lansing's Riverfront District at 320 E. Michigan Ave. The concept will mirror their two-year-old steakhouse in Saugatuck, and offer a similar menu of high quality steaks, seafood, generous sides, cocktails and wine to Mid-Michigan diners.

Bowdish says he and his dad decided on Lansing after a regular at their Saugatuck venue tipped them off about the available commercial real estate that had once housed the Knightcap.

"We heard that the Knightcap had been there forever, and that it had a similar vibe to us," says Bowdish. "We came here, looked around Lansing, and saw an opportunity to bring something to this part of the state."

Bowdish is targeting a Nov. 1 opening for the 58-seat restaurant, complimented by a 25-seat outdoor patio. He says the previous property owners already set the basic ambience, which means any renovations will be minor.

"We're not going to recreate the wheel," says Bowdish. "We're painting, changing the bar around a bit, and upgrading the light fixtures. That's about it."

The vision, Bowdish says, is to create an early- to mid-20th-century steakhouse, similar to a type where Frank Sinatra, the "Rat Pack" and others may have hung out over candlelight dinners. The chophouse will feature a small menu, but Bowdish says it hits all the key points, including USDA prime and dry-aged steak, lobster mac and cheese, New Orleans style beignets, and signature cocktails.

Bowdie's Chophouse will create 16 to 20 jobs, and will be managed and operated by Bowdish and Chef Jason Campbell.

"We want to give people a reason to come downtown and have a great dinner and walk around," Bowdish says. "I like what I see up and down the street with new bars and distilleries. It's a growing area and I see this place expanding. We just want to be part of it."